Something to Look Forward To
by moot3100
Summary: Arthur has just moved into New York and has nothing to do. Jade has lived in New York all her life and needs a past time. They meet in an art themed coffee shop. What could unfold? Arthur x OC .This is my first Fanfic. Please R&R (Warning: Human names used.)
1. Chapter 1

Arthur sat in his vacant apartment, bored out of his mind. He'd just moved in with his sister a few days ago, and he hadn't made any real friends. In all honesty, he didn't exactly _want _new friends. His old friends were perfectly fine. Almost every day, Arthur and his friends would do something productive: Composing amatuer pieces of music, starting clubs, painting murals. Sure, they weren't the most exciting teens, but eberyone enjoyed their time together. _But all thoses times are long gone now,_Arthur thought.

He was preparing for a band concert when he was told the news. Arthur's parents had gone over seas on a business meeting, and the plane crashed en route. Now he was an orphan, and was forced to move in with Alicia, his ever-so-bitter sister, in New York, New York.

Arthur stood up from his bed and looked out the window. _Everything is so different here... _He looked to his left and saw a man begging for change on the sidewalk. A few seconds later, the man removed his rags and put on a rather expensive-looking shirt, stepping into the back of a dark van. Arthur sighed. This place was a lot more scandolous than his old home. It seemed to him that around every street corner there was something in the shadows, just waiting to trip him. Arthur sighed and pulled on his wind-breaker. _I just need a little fresh air, _he thought, and strode out the door.

"Jade! Get away from that sketchbook and go outside!" Jade looked up slightly from her masterpiece, suppressing a sigh. She then gathered her art supplies and set them in her backpack. "Coming, Irene!" she yelled over the balustrade. Jade slung the backpack over her shoulder and skid down the stairs, stopping momentarily to wipe the paint off her brow. She found her friend at he bottom of the stairway with her arms crossed, tapping her toe impatiently. "Why do you always doodle in that stupid sketchbook of yours? Isn't it more fun being outside in the crowd?" Jade hopped off the last step and onto the ground, considering Irene's question. "Would you rather be like everyone else, or be an individual?" Jade countered. Irene chuckled and scratched her head. "Jade, you are one weird gal. Now come on, we gotta go. If I'm late, my dad will kill me."

Irene and Jade went to a business meeting concerning schoolboard issues, listening to their school's representative drone on and on about allowing texting in class. All the teachers and principals pretended to be engaged, though it was apparent they were dropping off like flies. One teacher was even caught trying to complete a sudoku puzzle behind their planner, claiming he was just "taking notes".

Jade's mind had wandered far far away from cell phone issues. She sighed and absentmindedly swirled circles on the top of the conference table. Having attended meetings with Irene before, she knew it would be very protracted and boring. _I need some air,_ she thought, and abruptly stood from her chair. One of the prinicpals asked what she was doing. "Going to the restroom." Jade explained. With an approving nod from the board she left, sending Irene an apologetic look.

Arthur sat in the midst of a coffe shop/ art exhibition. It seemed that everyone and everything was art-themed. All of the cashiers were vocalists, reciting the menu in the key of B. The servers always spoke in haikus. The tables were canvases and the eating utensils were, well, art utensils. Arthur smiled a bit. "I could get use to this..." He murmured.

A young girl walked through the door, a small backpack hanging over her shoulder. It was obvious that she'd been there before, because she was greeted by all of the staff and a few faithful customers. Ordering a cup of green tea and a honeybun, she sat down at the table across from Arthur. She then proceeded to take a sketchpad and pencil from her bag, glancing around at some of the other works of art around her for inspiration. A certain view catching her eye, she began drawing at an agonizingly slow pace. Molasses could have moved faster. It looked to Arthur that she drew every single detail about the landscape. The curve of the glasses, the jovial expressions of the surrounding people. Everything around was captured perfectly in her sketchbook.

Suddenly, the girl noticed Arthur's stare. Quickly shoving all her materials into her bag, she stood to leave. Flustered, Arthur said a quick "Wait!", making him a rather large spectacle. The girl quirked her brow in suspiscion. "What do you want?" Ahe asked, casting a glance at the crowd around her. Arthur was fishing for answers. _What __do__ I want? _"U-Um, I just really liked your art work is all. May I?" He stuttered, extending his hand. The girl looked at him intently, wary to hand him her skethbook. Deciding he looked honest enough, she passed over her drawings, sitting back in her seat.

Arthur sat across from her, leafing through the stranger's book. Each drawing was either very explicit or very abstract, with her signature in the bottom right corner. "_Jade." _He said under his breath. Alert, the girl looked up at him. "What was that?" Arthur rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oh nothing, I just noticedyour name was Jade... Or is it an alias?" Jade blinked. No one had ever asked if it wasn't her real name. "No, you were correct the first time, it is Jade. Jade Walsh." Jade offered Arthur her hand. "How rude of me. My name is Arthur Kirklsnd. It's a pleasure to meet you." Instead of shaking her hand like a normal New Yorker, Arthur kissed it. Jade chuckled. "Well, you're definitely not from around here. I'm guessing you're English?" Arthur nodded. Was it really that obvious? "I must say, I love your art work." Arthur began. "I've never seen drawings completed with such care and consideration." Jade smiled and thanked him. It wasn't often she got her drawings complimented, especially with masterpieces much more famous around her.

"If you like, I could give you lessons." Arthur's eyes brightened. He loved to draw, but was never particularly good at it. Plus he needed something to keep him occupied. "Alright! Same time, same place?" Jade was about to nod when she glanced at her watch. 1:45. "Oh crap! Irene is going to murder me! See you tomorrow, same time, same place. Bye!" Cramming all her stuff in her backpack and throwing away her food wrappers, she waved goodbye to Arthur. _Great, _Arthur thought.

_Something to look forward to._

* * *

**(A/N) Hey! So, um, this is my first story...Tell me if it sucks~! (Anybody that flames will be fed to the flying mint bunny...:D) By the way, should I continue this? *Strikes thinker pose* You tell me!**


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur paced around his apartment, eager to see his new-found friend again. He'd done everything in his power to calm down: herbal tea, laying down to nap, none of it worked. Finally sitting down, he cracked a small smile._ This is what it feels like to have friends, huh? _Arthur mused. It actually didn't feel as bad as he thought it would. "Like a fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach." He murmured. "What was that?" a girl with thick glasses screeched. Arthur sighed. "Nothing, Alice. Just talking to myself again."

Alice leaned her back against the wall and scoffed. "That better be the case, you bloody bloke. Now that you're living in my apartment, I expect you to be silent unless spoken to. Anything less or anything more and I'll throw you out. Understood?" Arthur nodded silently and left the room. _Why can't someone just conquer her already?_

Irene stood in front of her house, drenched and looking thouroughly ticked off. After Jade had abandoned her, the meeting had dragged on another hour and a half. Irene had actually contemplated suicide, wondering if her business pen was sharp enough to tear skin. Deciding against it, she waited until the end of the conference to duck out unnoticed. By then it was pouring rain outside, and all the city buses had long since stopped running. Umbrellaless and without transportation, Irene walked 8 blocks back to her house opening the door to find her friend lounging on the couch, doodling in a notebook. Jade looked up from her drawing, nodded, and returned to her activities. Sending her a death glare, Irene plopped down next to Jade and crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.

Jade set her materials aside. "Irene, I'm extremely sorry for ditching you. It was wrong and in bad taste. Though in my defense, if I satyed any longer my head would've exploded." Irene pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed for the second time in the oast hour. It was becoming a habit of hers. "I really hate it when you skip out in me, y'know. I only go to those meetings because of my dad, and you know that. It's just the best thing for my future is all..."

Irene's dad was the principle of Hetalia High, and often made his daughter sit in on the policy meetings to get a feel of what being a principal or teacher was like. Teaching life was terrible as far as she could tell. Having to listen to the constant groaning of the ungrateful children. It sounded horrible! At least Jade would come half the time to keep her awake. Though her ducking out was fairly new.

"Whatever, I don't care anymore. Where'd you go, anyway? Straight home?" Irene asked. Jade shook her head. "I went to that coffee shop up on Main Street. You know, the one that just opened up?" Irene nodded and asked if the food was any good.

Jade shrugged. "I don't know, the guy across from me asked me so many questions I never got around to eating." Irene's eyes widened. _So this is what happens when I'm gone..._ "So, a strange man was sitting across from you, and asked you various questions... I've got three questions:

1. Was he in uniform?

2. Were the questions about criminal activity?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how cute was he?"

Jade's face went a deep red, though she answered nonetheless." No, no, and... 11. H-He was English and quite the gentleman, and we're meetingup again tomorrow for some art lessons I'm giving him."

Squeeling, the soaking wet girl fell to the ground in a fit of giggles. Watching her best friend roll around, Jade continued sketching. She'd need to have perfected this by tomorrow evening.

"Ah," Irene exclaimed as she stood up,"some girls have all the luck." Jade gave her a questioning look. With one final chuckle, Irene left the room to leave the teacher to her lesson plans, drawing the night away.

* * *

**(A/N) Hey there, Hetalians! Sorry for the short chappie, but school is tough (Come on, Christmas Break!). I'd just like to say thank you to my first reviewer, it really means a lot. *wipes away tears of joy* R&R! 8D**


	3. Chapter 3

Jade stood outside of her house, wondering if giving free lessons was the best idea. Sighing, she glanced at her watch: 1:00. If she was going to make it, she'd have to hustle.

The night before, Irene had come back into Jade's room, rifling through her closet for something suitable for her friend to wear the next day. Not at all a fashionista, Jade thanked her for the effort but made a few changes. Standing at the bus stop, Jade wore a blood-red turtle neck, a short, black skirt with matching leggings, and black slip-on shoes (A/N: Yes, I'm _very_ orriginal with clothes).

Irene looked through the window and saw her roommate just standing there. Crossing her arms, she shook her head. _I thought she knew me better than that! _Irene opened the door just a crack, and yelled, "If you don't get a move on right now, I'll sell all of your drawings and give your clothes to charity!" slamming the door closed again.

Jade's back stiffened. Muttering threats under her breath, she adjusted her backpack strap and set off for the coffee shop.

_Today is going to be a long day._

* * *

Arthur was already sitting at a table, twiddling his thumbs anxiously. It had taken him a while to convince Alice he was just going to the coffee shop. In the past, he'd told her he was going to get groceries when he was really out at World Meetings. It was the only way things got accomplished. It wasn't like the other countries hadn't left their counterparts at home before. Why, just a few days ago at the last meeting, Ivan had left Natalia in Moscow, anyone could guess the reason…

Glancing around, Arthur saw no trace of his art teacher. Suddenly, realization hit him. _What if I got stood up?_ It was a new concept for him, and not just because Alfred taught him slang.

Back in England, he was very well-known and nearly never betrayed. _But now I'm in New York…_

"Sorry I'm late!" A woman dashed through the glass doors, taking a seat across from him. Arthur felt relief flood over him.

Taking a few utensils and notebooks out of her backpack, Jade mentally cursed herself out. _How could I set such a bad impression?_

"I got up a little late," she lied," but I'm here now, and that's what's important. Let class begin!"

To begin the lesson, Jade briefed Arthur on the small amount of art history she knew, starting at the middle of the Renaissance and ending with Pop art. In all honesty, all that didn't matter in the least bit. What mattered was the type he wanted to draw.

"So, what kind of art peaks your interest?" Jade asked, awaiting an answer.

Arthur's brow furrowed in concentration. Reaching a decision, he smiled. Grabbing his teacher's notebook, he pointed at a page, saying," I want to draw like this."

Blushing slightly, Jade nodded and stood. Thinking that the lesson was over, Arthur stood as well, reaching his hand to shake hers. Jade gave him a knowing look and chuckled.

"If you think you're leaving that easily, you're not as smart as I thought, Artie."

Arthur blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Artie? _Artie? _"Who do you think you are?" Arthur yelled, a light pink dusting his cheeks. Jade laughed and tilted her head to the side. "I think I'm just you're teacher, working for no pay. Now c'mon before I change my mind, Englishman." Grabbing his hand and successfully ending the conversation, Jade walked out of the resturaunt.

Though he was confused and bewildered, Arthur followed her.

* * *

It seemed they had walked quite a distance to Arthur. _In fact, I don't even see any more skyscrapers… _When Jade finally came to a stop, the two were surrounded by a vast quantity of trees and flowers. If one looked closer, they'd see other young artists at work.

"Why'd you take me to the park?" Arthur quizzed. Jade smirked. "If you really want to draw like me, then you have to view the world like me," Jade picked up a daffodil," or at least sort of."

She found a seat on the stump of a tree; Arthur noticed she must escape here often, because there was an array of different art supplies under the stump's lid.

Looking over at Arthur, she patted the earth next to her. Reluctantly, he complied.

"Alright, what do you see when you look at this flower?" Jade began. Arthur shrugged. A flower, I suppose?"

Jade laughed. "Wrong! When you see things, they remind you of either of people, experiences, places, concepts, or any other thing that's not the object itself. Once you've decided what it reminds you of, that's what you draw!"

Seeing Arthur still looking confused, Jade sighed, standing up.  
"Whatever. If you don't want art classes from a nut case, I won't blame you. No one gets it."

Panicking, Arthur grasped Jade's wrist to prevent her from leaving. His face flushed, he glanced the other way, saying," I may not understand it now, but I'll strive to understand it. T-Thank you for the lesson."

Jade was slightly taken a back. Not only had this man just grabbed her hand on one knee, he did what most New Yorkers hadn't done to her her whole life: apologize. _I think I struck gold!_

Jade cleared her throat, prompting Arthur to stand up straight and let go of her. She glanced at her watch once again: 1:30. The lesson was over.

"Alright Artie, it seems our time is up. The next lesson will be held here tomorrow instead of at the coffee shop. We'll be discussing the same topic we left off on."

Giving him a quick hug, she spun around on her heel, yelling a faint "Goodbye" in her wake.

Arthur's eyes widened at this girl's audacity. She'd called him Artie _and _hugged him all in the same day! Arthur smiled and sighed. "I definitely struck gold with her."

He didn't notice Kiku snapping pictures of the blushing Brit behind a tree. Kiku chuckled and slipped his camera into his back pocket. _Hungary will love to see these!_

* * *

**Alright guys! I'm feeling a bit better about this chapter (And not just because I threw in other countries). I may not be able to update as often because I'm on a family vacation in Florida. Anyway, I need a twist in the story later on. Any ideas? Whoever comes up with the best twist gets recognized as a character in my story (and the interwebs!) You have until I post chapter 5 to tell me in the reviews. R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur and Jade's routine continued on for many weeks, meeting every week in the park for art lessons. Many days, Jade noticed, her student would draw some rather strange pictures when he was asked to interpret things. For example, when he was shown the daffodil again, he drew a picture of a levitating, green rabbit. Pretty strange for the average person. "What, you don't have fairies in New York either?" Chuckling, Jade accepted it as one of the Englishman's many quirks.

As time progressed, the two became closer and closer. Every day Arthur drew something, he wouldn't allow her to see it immediately. He'd put it in a green folder for her to take home, and she'd write an honest critique on the back. After about a week of doing so, Arthur wrote two things on the back of his drawing of a rose: his phone number and his address.

Not knowing how to respond, Jade asked Irene for her advice. Mistake #267 of her life. "So, you're telling me that a hot British guy wrote his number _and _address on the back of a picture of a rose and you _don't know_ _what to do?_ Jade, I love you with all my heart –truly, I do—but you need to get your heart in gear."

Jade gave Irene a look that spelled out "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about". Of course after seeing that, Irene face-palmed, muttering something about dense women under her breath.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that Arthur obviously wants to have a relationship with you~! Why else would he give out personal information like that? What I would do is tell him how you feel about it directly, tomorrow during art lessons."

Jade looked at Irene incredulously, her face red enough to put one of Antonio's tomatoes to shame. "A-Arthur couldn't like me! I mean, we do have a good time together, but that's nothing to gauge a relationship off of… Besides, we don't have lessons tomorrow. Arthur always has some type of meeting on Wednesdays."

A mischievous smile tugged at the edges of Irene's lips. Sighing, her roommate took a seat on the couch: she knew this wouldn't end well.

"Alright, here's the plan." Irene began, joining her friend.

"You and Arthur know a lot about each other, right?" Jade nodded in response. "And in all that time you've known each other, you never learned what the meetings he went to were about, right?" Hesitating, Jade nodded. "I still don't see what you're tal-"Irene swiftly brought a finger to her lips.

"Hush child! Anyway, if you were to, I don't know, call him and ask him to go to your house, you could snoop around his house and find out!" Irene finished her explanation smiling, completely satisfied with her plan.

Jade scoffed and laid her head back. "I'm pretty sure that's illegal. And even if he _did_ allow me into his home, I wouldn't feel right looking through his possessions. He's a good man and he's never done anything to me, either."

Irene crossed her arms. "A 'good man' has no secrets. Besides, this might lead to love! Then you guys'll start dating, he'll propose, and I'll get to be your bridesmaid… Then you'll have 12 kids~!"

Jade sat there and blushed, shaking her head back and forth at your nonsense. Out of the blue, Jade chuckled. _This girl knows exactly how to cheer me up…_

With a groan, she stood, saying, "Irene, I don't know what's wrong with me today, but I might just take you up on your plan." Irene, apparently happy about her friend's decision, tossed her her cell phone and left the room.

Taking a deep breath, Jade dialed Arthur's number. _Here goes nothing…_

* * *

Arthur sat in his shared apartment, staring thoughtfully out of the window. It had been about 2 hours since he'd given Jade the folder, and he was starting to wonder what had happened.

Alice noticed his strange behavior during dinner. The average mealtime in the Kirkland household consisted of two key components: arguing and yelling. Neither of which had come from his side of the table. Alice even took the courtesy of starting the insults by saying: "Pass the salt, caterpillar-brows." Despite the deep remark (she knew how sensitive his eyebrows were to him), Arthur just gave her the requested condiment and returned to his meal, occasionally sighing.

After about 20 more minutes of dining, Arthur abruptly stood and put his dishes in the sink. Excusing himself, he went into his room and shut the door.

Suddenly, Alice smirked. She knew what was happening. Big brother was in love. _Now, how can I use this to my advantage…?_ Alice quickly cleaned up the table and washed the dishes. She then decided to pay her brother a visit.

Knocking on Arthur's bedroom door, Alice heard a muffled "What do you want?" come through. She barged into his room, earning her a glare from a rather ticked off looking Brit. Alice took a seat on his bed, folding her arms on her flouncy dress.

"I said what do you want?" Arthur already seemed a bit on edge from her presence, her refusing to answer his question just annoyed him further.

Alice scowled. "You're in love."

It was not a question, just a simple statement. Arthur looked slightly taken aback by her blunt comment. Okay, really taken aback. His cheeks looked as if Jade took one of her red markers and scribbled all over them.

Leaning back, Alice asked him a question. "Who is it?" Arthur blinked. "Come again?" Alice sighed and asked again. "The girl you like. Who is it? Does she know how much of a dunce you are?"

Arthur groaned and shrugged off her questions. "Why don't you just leave and mind your own business?"

Alice swiftly stood to her feet and stalked her way up to her brother. Lowering her head, she looked straight into his green eyes and sneered. "Is that any way to speak to the person paying your bills?" Hesitantly, Arthur shook his head.

"I didn't think so." With that resolved, she left his room to finish any leftover chores.

As if on cue, Arthur's phone went off, playing the tune '_Englishman in New York'_. That could only mean one thing: Jade was calling him.

Taking a few deep breaths, Arthur picked up the phone. Pressing the answer button he made a silent prayer that things went over okay. _Here goes nothing…_

* * *

**Hey guys~! I finally worked in a cliffhanger! *gasps* The suspense... By the way, the contest is not yet closed! Post your ideas in the reviews _please!_ (And a shout out to IrishMaid, if you win the plot contest I will _definitely_ put you in as the girl that tries to steal away Arthur lol 8D) So please, R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, fellow Hetalians~! The competion is officially CLOSED. The winner of the plot contest is... *cue drumroll* IrishMaid! And since I am a woman of honor, I indeed put you into the story. (IrishMaid= Emily in this story (It flows better 8D)) So thank you for the plot and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Hello, Arthur Kirkland speaking. Who is it?" Arthur very well knew who was calling him, he just needed to make sure it wasn't a dream.

"Hey Arthur, it's Jade. I wanted to talk to you about something."Arthur's heart skipped a beat. _It really is her!_ He thought. _But what did she want to talk to me about?_

"What could that be, love?" A light blush colored Jade's cheeks. Since when had he started calling her love?

"U-Um, I was wondering…could I…spend the night with you?" Jade asked. Nervous about his reply, she unconsciously curled the tips of her hair. There was a long, drawn out pause before Arthur's answer: "Why?"

Jade fumbled about her room, fishing for some sort of answer. As if on cue, Irene dashed into her room, pointing frantically at the old cast in the closet. Seeing her friend's still lost look, she face-palmed and mouthed the words 'broken arm' repeatedly.

"Well uh, Irene, my landlady, has…broken her arm? Yeah, she broke her arm, and wants me to take residence elsewhere for the night. So, is that alright? B-Because if it isn't, I understand…"

Arthur's eyes widened. She was out of a home? Sure, the reason she had no place to stay was a little strange, but leaving her stranded would be against his gentlemanly nature.

"Jade, don't be silly. Of course you can come over. Go ahead and gather up your necessities and I'll be right over."

"It's a date then. Thank you so much, Artie! Goodbye!" With that, Jade ended the call and laid across her bed, fully content. The same could not be said for Arthur.

* * *

Still holding the receiver to his ear, Arthur blanched. _A d-date? What have I done!? _It wasn't like he'd never been on a date before. Heck, he'd been on plenty during his time as a pirate, but there was something different about the girl he'd be with…

"You're letting a stranger into my apartment?"

Arthur turned around to see his sister standing in the door frame, arms crossed and a 'I know you didn't' expression stamped onto her face. Arthur sighed: _Her again…_

"Look, she is not a stranger, she's my friend. When I come back, you will treat her as you would treat any other guest: with respect and kindness. Understand?"

At first, Alice as rather taken aback by his sudden change in attitude. Then, recalling the siblings' earlier conversation, she put two and two together. Smirking, Alice nodded. _Good luck, big brother._

Pulling on his blazer, Arthur left for Jade's house.

* * *

Moving at a pace faster than the speed of light, Jade packed away all the things she might possibly need for the night. Of course, Irene forced her to primp herself up a bit, smearing small amounts of makeup on her face. "With any luck, the British guy might propose tonight!" she mused.

Jade sighed, looking over herself in the mirror for the final time. Smoothing her skirt, she thought about what she was going to attempt. Was it really okay to look through her friend's belongings?

Sensing her roommate's discomfort, Irene brought Jade into a reassuring embrace. "Remember, no matter what happens, you and Arthur are friends. Now go make Momma proud!" Hearing the doorbell, Irene quickly opened the door and shoved Jade onto the unaware Englishman, yelling a quick, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" in her wake.

Standing to his feet and dusting himself off, Arthur couldn't help but wonder who that woman was. _It couldn't be the landlady, her arm is broken…Whatever…_

The overall walk to Arthur's house was rather uneventful, until Jade raised a question that caught the Brit off guard. "Artie, how did you know where I lived?"

Blushing, Arthur gulped. Jade took one look at his face and laughed. "Don't tell me you've been following me home." She said with a smirk. Arthur looked away in an attempt to hide his redder-than-red face. In almost a whisper, he said, "A-A real gentleman keeps his lady safe."

A pink blush now coloring her face, Jade cleared her throat and gestured to the house behind them. "T-This is your apartment, right?" Nodding, Arthur took out his house key and unlocked the door.

Arthur hung his coat on a rack as Jade took a small tour around the cozy living space. It wasn't as small as the traditional apartment room. In fact, it seemed like it was custom made for him and him alone.

Looking atop the dresser in the main room, Jade saw many framed pictures and drawings. There were portraits of Arthur and some strange men and women – a sort of conference, Jade guessed- though one of them particularly caught her eye. It was a drawing of a ten-year-old Arthur and two girls. _I know one of them is Arthur's sister, but who is…_

"Hello there." A silky, feminine voice was heard behind Jade, making her jump.

Alice grabbed Jade's shoulder, gently guiding her away from the dresser. "Sorry to have startled you, love. I'm Alice, Arthur's younger sister. I assume your Jade Walsh, Arthur's teacher?" Her voice was laced with mock-sincerity, though she didn't detect it.

Jade smiled and nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you too!" Arthur noticed the two women talking and rushed over, praying Alice hadn't said or done anything unpleasant.

Sighing, he wiped the nervous sweat from his brow. Jade was still smiling. _Not yet…_ "It seems you two have hit it off. Would it be alright if Jade went and changed in your room while we prepare the guest room, Alice?"

Nodding, Alice left the room with some of Jade's luggage, Arthur following a short ways behind her. Before he left, he gave Jade a brief escort to Alice's room. "If you need anything, just yell." Thanking him, she closed the door.

No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on putting on her pajamas, Jade's mind was being plagued by that picture. Who was that girl? She seemed awfully close to Arthur in the picture, her clutching onto his hand. Maybe he had another sister? _Yes, that has to be the reason._ Pulling on a green night gown, she tiptoed outside the room, looking for her friend. He'd tell her, right?

When she found the guestroom door, it was firmly shut, a rather heated debate being heard. Though the conversation was muffled, Jade could make out a few words: "shouldn't be here", "happening again", and "another Emily".

Deciding it was none of her concern, Jade went back to the main room, sifting through the drawers of the picture dresser. There was a large art book in the bottom drawer, filled with pictures of Arthur and the mystery girl. It seemed they were a couple, holding hands and sharing hugs in many of the pages.

Jade felt a sudden pang of jealousy. Did Arthur already have someone he loved? Shaking off the feeling she kept in mind Irene's words. Her and Arthur were friends. Just friends. Turing to the last page, Jade saw a journal entry, written by someone named…Emily… _That must be the girl's name!_ It read:

_After years of being with Arthur, I have fallen madly in love._

_He treats me with as much care as a china doll. What woman could ask for more!_

_Though, I do have one concern. It seems he has been hiding one secret from me._

_Every week he leaves, thinking I don't know what he's doing._

_Perhaps he thinks I believe he's cheating on me. No, I know him better than that._

_I happen to know he goes to World Meetings, conversing with a variety of important nations. And the only way for him to attend would be if he were… a country._

_So I've reached my conclusion. Arthur is the country of England._

Jade's eyes widened. And the message itself wasn't even the most shocking part. At the top-right corner of the note was the date: 1492. Setting down the book, Jade stood completely still. _My friend…is a country?_

* * *

**I'm a little bit ashamed of this chapter... (Does this still count as a clifhanger? I just feel a lot of suspense) Anywho, thanks to IrishMaid again, keep on reading! Happy New Years~!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Jade's eyes widened. And the message itself wasn't even the most shocking part. At the top-right corner of the note was the date: 1492. Setting down the book, Jade stood completely still. My friend…is a country?_

* * *

Jade woke with a start, finding herself wrapped in a leaf-green blanket in a very unfamiliar room. Taking more time to let her surroundings seep in, she noticed various paintings on the wall, and all of them were vaguely recognizable to her. Smelling the sheets, Jade guessed it was Arthur's room- they smelled like Earl Grey tea mixed with…pixie dust? _What a strange man… _Jade thought as she made up the bed.

After taking the next few minutes to arrange her things and change, Jade found a small note attached to her backpack. It read:

_Dear Jade,_

_Alice and I was preparing to leave for one of my meetings when I found you asleep on the living room floor._

_Afraid you'd get a crick in your neck, I put you in my room. Sorry if that startled you._

_Anywho, my sister and I should be back in an hour. You may wait for us to come back or leave if you wish. I've left you some soup in the refrigerator if you decide to stay and get hungry._

_I hope your landlady gets better soon._

_Sincerely, Arthur_

Jade quickly skimmed over his message, blushing slightly when he mentioned her sleeping in his bed. When she'd gotten to the end, she wondered if she should stay or not. It was obvious that she'd already accomplished what she'd come for. Jade cringed slightly at the thought of what she'd read the night before. "We're just friends, don't get emotional." She murmured, as if she were trying to convince herself.

Sighing, Jade went back to the guest room, rifling through her luggage to find her phone. _I'll do the only thing I know how to do: Call Irene. _(A/N: Has she learned nothing? 8D) She didn't have to wait long for her friend to pick up.

"So, tell me _everything _that happened last night. Did you two…y'know…become friends _with benefeits?_" Jade could almost see Irene's eyebrows raise suggestively through the phone. "No, you pervert. Though, I did find something out about him…"'

"Is he an otaku?"

"No."

"An axe murderer?"

"No."

"Is he gay? I bet he's gay~!"

"No!" Jade was starting to get tired of the guessing game and decided to get right to the point. "Irene, Arthur's a country."

"…What?"

* * *

Arthur sat in the meeting room, stiff as a board. He was almost certain what the meeting was going to be about, and he didn't like it one bit. Anxiously, he twiddled his thumbs. _Please, just get this over with…_

Ludwig stalked angrily into the room, obviously not wanting to openly talk about the specific topic written on the board. Written on the chalk board were these words:

_Relationships with humans: Forbidden since 1492._

When all of the other nations had taken their seats, the meeting officially began, Ludwig kicking it off. "All of us are avare of zis rule, correct? That there vill be no country-human relationships?" Everyone in the room nodded, Arthur a bit hesitantly.

Arthur ran a hand through his hair, preparing himself for whatever Ludwig would say next. "Someone in this room has broken this rule, one of the only rules a country has to follow." Each of the nations looked to one another, as if asking "Is it I?" (Bible reference). Arthur gulped. The floor was becoming increasingly interesting…

Crossing his arms, Ludwig surveyed the expressions of the listeners before he continued. "The man who has committed this sin is no other than… Arthur Kirkland!" There was a collective gasp heard across the room, shock etched into their faces. Everyone's face, except Francis, who had a firm smirk playing across his lips.

"So, Anglettere has actually found a girl who can look past his caterpillar-like eyebrows? Impossible! I say that this whole thing is a farce!" He said with a chuckle. At first Arthur was livid at the frog – why couldn't he get a girl?!- but then he realized that denying it would keep him out of trouble.

Then they brought out the evidence.

Ludwig supplied picture after picture of Arthur and Jade together. There were pictures of them at the park, them holding hands, them _hugging_! How could he deny those?

It seemed Francis was pondering the same question, seeing as he closely studied the pictures, eyes filled with disbelief. "T-These are obviously Photoshopped. Even if Arthur _did _manage to land a woman, it certainly wouldn't be one as beautiful as her!"

Arthur's face reddened visibly at Francis' statement. "Y-You take that back! I'll have you know that I was perfectly capable of 'landing' Jade!" There was another gasp as Arthur clasped his hand over his mouth, suddenly aware of his outburst. "I-I mean…" There was nothing left to be said.

Alfred finally spoke up, sick of keeping his heroic mouth shut for so long. "Dude, your hot for that chick? That's awesome, bro! It only took you like, seven centuries to get over the last one!"

Arthur nodded in response, the room's atmosphere shifting noticeably. Everyone remembered Arthur's last girlfriend Emily. They had been together long before the no human law had been created. In fact, everyone had loved her. She was even allowed to attend meetings. Though, after Arthur had worked up enough nerve to propose to her, she died of a heart attack. Depressed by the news, the nations unanimously agreed to band intimate relations with humans.

Looking up from the table, Arthur gazed into the eyes of those around him. He'd reached a decision. "Yes, I am, in fact, deeply in love with this girl, and would want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her." He paused to take another look at everyone's face.

"However, such feelings are in violation of the nation code of conduct. I promise to never show such emotions to this girl ever again." With that being said, Arthur stood and walked out of the meeting room, astonished eyes staring behind him. Clearing his throat, Ludwig snapped the mass out of their stupors. "Meeting dismissed."

* * *

Jade and Irene had talked quite a while on the phone, discussing her next plan of action. "Just stay there until he comes back, so you two can talk about it. Maybe this Emily chick was a loon…" Hanging up, Jade went to the kitchen to heat up the soup Arthur made. _Perhaps some good food will help me think better…_

That move was definitely a move she'd never make again. Taking a sip of the thick, green substance, Jade blanched. It wasn't like she'd never eaten terrible food- she lived with Irene, after all- but this, this was something completely different. There were _sprinkles_ in the soup! _Sprinkles! _Was this some kind of payback for looking through his things? _It serves me right,_ Jade thought, putting her silverware in the sink.

It was then that Arthur and Alice walked in, a grave frown etched in their features. Excitedly, Jade went up to Arthur, bringing him into a warm embrace. "Artie, your back~!" Jade noticed he was unusually tense under her touch, and he didn't even attempt hugging back. Quickly, she stepped back, sensing she'd crossed a boundary.

Becoming increasingly self-conscious, Jade put her hands behind her back. "Well, um…Arthur, I wanted to talk to you about something," she glanced over at Alice,"…alone." Silently, Arthur nodded, leading Jade into a separate room, closing the door behind them.

"Okay Arthur, I wanted to-" Arthur held up his hand, cueing her to be quiet. Taking a deep breath, he began. "Jade, I'm sorry to say this, but due to some circumstances, you can no longer be my art tutor." An expression of pure horror crossed the girl's face, making Arthur look away. "Believe me, this is for the better."

Backing away, Jade wordlessly shook her head. _Why is this happening to me? What have I done so bad to get my only companion ripped away from me?_ Despite her attempts to withhold them, several large tears escaped her eyes as she ran out the room door. In a blur, she was shoving all of her belongings into her bag.

Glancing over at the art book, Jade felt a huge wave of hatred flow through her veins. In a blind act of spite, Jade ripped out the last page, stuffing it into her backpack. _Take that, Arthur!_ Without so much as a farewell, she left, a trail of tears in her wake.

* * *

**Awww... I made this chapter so sad... *sniffles* Welp, this _definitely_ counts as dropping a "Drama-Bomb"! Sorry for the sorta-kinda late update. Please R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

Jade sat in her room, her hands trembling as she clutched her knees to her chest. Ever since she'd come back from Arthur's house, she'd been a sniveling mess. Irene had tried many times to coax her out of her room, suggesting that they go out for ice-cream and discuss some things. This only resulted in the door being locked.

Irene was thoroughly sick of her friend's constant boohooing. Sighing, she retired on the couch- that's how she got most of her plans. _What could that boy have done to make her so sad…? _Suddenly, inspiration struck.

Straightening herself out, she whipped her phone out of her back pocket, smirking as she dialed the nation's number. _This 'Arthur' character is about to get a mouth full…_

Arthur sat in his armchair, a still hand placed over his face. If one took only a glance at him, they'd think he was a deathly pale vampire (Just without the sparkles). He seemed devastated by Jade's storming out the day before, not intending his words to be so harsh.

He didn't think his life would be so dismal without Jade in it. They were supposed to have another art lesson today, his favorite time of the week_. And we would have had one, if I hadn't been such a bloody git… _Arthur thought.

Arthur absentmindedly looked to his phone, sitting on the glass table in front of him. His eyes glazed over slightly, remembering how happy he was when Jade first called him. Hesitantly, he picked it up, as if the phone could burn him somehow.

Bored, Arthur flipped through his contact list, not actually intending on calling anyone. He had the phone numbers of all the countries of the world on his phone (including Sealand, ironically). In fact, the only human on his phone was Jade Walsh- on speed dial.

As if on cue, Arthur's phone rang, emitting a loud, annoying bell sound. When he looked at the caller ID, he almost choked. Quickly, he answered.

"Jade, I am so sorry for what I did, it was extremely out of line! P-Please forgive me, I just act like an arse sometimes…"

"Well, this isn't Jade, this is Irene, the…_landlady." _Arthur's heart nearly stopped. _I just apologized to a stranger!_

"S-Sorry, love…Why are you calling me?"

Irene could almost hear the man's subtle hesitance through the phone. Perfect.

"I'm calling you to talk about Jade. Ever since she came back from your house, she's been bawling her eyes out and refusing to talk to me about it."

Arthur felt a sudden pang of guilt. He knew that she was upset yesterday, but not to the point of isolating herself. "Look, I am truly sorry for-"

"Not so fast, Brit! While you're trying apologize to me, you should be apologizing to Jade! Now, I don't know what happened yesterday, nor do I really want to. All I know is my friend is ticked off at you and something better happen, or else the consequences will be painful. Ciao!"

With that being said, Irene hung up, leaving the Englishman to stare at his phone in both anxiety and fear. _Looks like I'm going to Jade's house…_

Irene knocked on Jade's room door, hoping for some indication that she was still alive. A muffled 'Go away' was heard through the door. Good enough.

"Okay Jade, I'm heading to another school board meeting. I'd take you with me if you weren't all…Blech."

Irene heard a small grunt, prompting her to gather her things. "See ya later then, Jade. By the way, I think some company is going to be coming later on, so let them in. Bye!"

Jade's eyes widened slightly. Someone was coming over? Who…and when? Deciding it was probably going to be someone of importance, she stood and got dressed, looking a little less disshelved.

Deeming herself somewhat presentable, Jade sat in the living room, waiting for someone to come.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

About a half hour had passed before she started getting restless. Was anyone even going to show up? Before Jade went to her room to sulk some more, the doorbell rang.

Primping herself in the mirror one last time, Jade ran to the door and answered. What she saw made her want to scream in frustration. "'Ello, love…!"

SLAM!

"J-Jade, please open the door…"

Jade glared dangerously at the door. Why was _he _there?

"Why should I?" She shouted. There was a long pause before he answered.

"B-Because… I want to apologize…" Arthur murmured sincerely.

Her cheeks tinted pink, Jade reluctantly opened the door, crossing her arms as he walked in. Trying her best to keep composed, Jade sat on the couch, motioning to the seat next to her. Obediently, Arthur sat, placing his hands on his knees awkwardly. It looked to Jade as if he didn't know where to start.

Getting tired of just sitting there, Jade groaned. "If you're going to say something, then-"

"I'm sorry."

Caught off-guard, Jade's eyes widened. _Did…Did he just…apologize? _It was a rare ocrurance for the man to say sorry. Sometimes he had to be bribed to overcome his pride, but that was still no solid garuantee.

"I'm sorry that I caused you such pain. I'm sorry that I acted so rudely to you. I'm sorry I keep secrets from you. I'm just…so sorry."

With every word, it looked like he was getting weaker and weaker. By the end of his confession, it almost looked like he was driven to tears.

Without thinking, Jade brought the man into a hug. At first he was very stiff, but he soon melted into the embrace.

Sensing it was confession time, Jade braced herself for whatever would come next and spoke what had been on her mind for the past three days.

"Arthur, I know who you are." Slowly, Arthur released her from his grasp, gazing deep into her chocolate eyes. From the way he looked, Arthur was very puzzled as to her meaning.

Sighing, Jade elaborated. "The other day when I was at your house, I was being nosy –sorry about that- and I found a letter in an old art book… And, it said that you were…That you were a country…"

Through her whole confession, Jade avoided the British man's face, afraid of what she might see. When she finally worked up enough courage to peek, what she discovered shocked her.

He was smiling. And it wasn't one of those fake, half smiles. It was a genuine, 100% made in England smile that was quite infectious. Soon, Jade smiled as well, being brought into a much happier embrace.

"J-Jade this is wonderful news! I need to bring this before the other nations!"

Jade looked slightly confused. "Well, what does this mean? Do I get a medal or something?" she said jokingly.

Arthur shook his head, looking away for some reason. "I-It means that… I can date-"

"How are you two?" Irene barged into the room, dramatically changing the atmosphere. Jade and Arthur realized how close they were and backed away, blushing wildly. "F-Fine." They answered simultaneously.

Irene looked at the pair and giggled to herself. _They're such a cute couple~!_

Abruptly, Arthur stood, pulling Jade with him. "Excuse me, Madam Irene, but Jade and I have matters to attend to. It's been a pleasure meeting you."

Dragging a confused New Yorker in his wake, Arthur left the building, hearing Irene yell "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" behind him.

"Dude, why are we waiting here again?" Alfred and all the other nations stood in the park, waiting for Arthur to show up. He'd sent a mass text saying to meet him there for an emergency meeting. It must have been urgent, seeing as Arthur hardly ever texted.

"This is the correct park, right aru?" questioned Yao. For one time in his life, the Englishman wasn't being punctual (record this in your diaries, fangirls).

Finally, Matthew saw him and some girl running towards them. No one heard him though, so they went pretty much unnoticed until Arthur spoke up.

"Sorry we're late." Everyone turned to see an out of breath couple, gasping for air.

"Igiru-san, what is the meaning of this sudden meeting?" said Kiku.

"Yeah, I'm missing the game because of this!" Alfred tacked on.

After Arthur finished composing himself, he faced the men and women in front of him, Jade standing timidly behind. "I have an important announcement to make."

Arthur grabbed Jade's hand and brought her beside him, giving the hand a slight squeeze of reassurance. All eyes were on her.

"This woman before you today has found out our little secret: she knows I am a country." There was a small gasp heard throughout the park; of course, all of them got strange stares from the other non-countries at the park, encouraging them to keep their voices down.

"Now, you all know I am a stickler for rules," there was a large murmur of agreement, "and according to rule #16 in the nation handbook, any human who finds out about a countries identity must become on themselves."

Jade gulped as everyone nodded. _I-I have to become a country? I never agreed to that!_

Ludwig raised his hand, waiting for the noise to die down. "The rule book also says that the new country must be in some sort of relationship with another nation for at least 5 years to be truly recognized as a one of us.

Blushing, Jade looked to Arthur, awaiting his retort.

Clearing his throat, Arthur stood in front of Jade, looking into her eyes intently.

"Jade Walsh, you are the sunshine of my life. For nearly a year, you've kept me company, through my best and worst times. When I was happy, you celebrated with me. When I was sad, you mourned with me. You've taught me many valuable lessons, life and drawing included. I guess what I'm trying to say is…Jade, I love you."

Jade stood completely still, shocked to the core. Arthur Kirkland, the man of her dreams, just confessed to her in her favorite park, for all to see.

Not knowing what words to say, Jade brought Arthur into a passionate kiss, ignoring all the 'ooh's' and whistles behind her.

When she pulled away, her face was redder than a fire truck, the same being said for the man in front of her. "I love you too…England."

* * *

**Hey guys~! I believe this is my last chapter *wipes away tears*. (I might make a continuation chapter, but don't quote me on it.) Please R&R!**


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